Pilot Proficiency

Technicalities: Pilots Are Not Immune to Unpredictable Events

Monday, June 13, 2016 at 07:45 PM ET

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Life is full of "black swans," important and decisive events that are completely unexpected but can significantly change the course of events. iStock

Key Takeaways:

The article recounts two separate gear-up landing incidents by a father and son, illustrating how seemingly minor circumstances (like a trench coat cuff) or "unaccountable failures of reasoning" can lead to significant errors.
Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's theories, the author explains that human decision-making is often influenced by intuitive biases and illusions, highlighting the illusion of retrospective predictability for unexpected "black swan" events.
The core takeaway is that individuals should recognize their susceptibility to mental stumbles and unpredictable events, advocating for operating comfortably within one's abilities rather than constantly pushing limits to mitigate risks.

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My father was handsome. He had the Paul Newman look and knew it.

Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.